Dean dropped by again this week. They went to the park, and had a picnic. They laid out a red checkered blanket and ate little sandwiches that were more than likely made by Dean's servants. They talked for hours on end watching the birds chatter amongst each other in the trees. Dean said that he liked talking to Cas because he always found a way to make something funny, which Cas found strange because he never deemed himself as an amusing person. Cas liked talking to Dean because he always had very interesting stories to tell about people he'd met or things he'd done. He was always so fascinating.
They both loved being in each other's company. After they had finished up at the park, Dean offered to go back to his house to have a glass of brandy and finish their conversation. Cas accepted.
"I'm just saying, Toulouse-Lautrec is the best artist of the Bohemian Revolution."
"Well I don't know about 'the best' but he is decent, I'll admit." Dean rebuttled.
Suddenly, Cas remembered something and decided to bring it up.
"Hey, whatever happened to that Abaddon girl? Have you won her back yet?"
Dean smiled and responded. "We had tea this weekend. She can around because she had heard from others that I had been asking about her. She showed up at my door out of the blue, and yes I was a little flustered and surprised and shocked and in awe all at the same time, which believe me. It's very confusing. Well, anyways, she came in and we caught up after all the wasted years. And we decided to get back together. I'm seeing her again tomorrow."
Cas nodded in understanding. He was happy for them.
"Well, I think that's great for you guys!"
Dean smiled. "You know what, Cas? You're the best friend I've had in really long time. Ever since… Oh, never mind."
Dean was being very vague, which peaked Castiel's interest even more.
"Ever since what?" Cas asked innocently.
Dean took a deep breath and started to speak.
"My brother. He was four years younger than me. His name was Sam. H-he was a lawyer, in fact, he was the best damn lawyer this whole country has ever seen. He would travel from state to state to defend some of the country's most notorious criminals. And hell, he won most of his cases. My dad never really accepted him, though. He was… He was a pretty traditional guy. And it turns out that Sammy was gay. And dad didn't stand for it. And after the night he came out to him, they never spoke another word to each other."
"Oh that's sad." Castiel sympathized.
Dead chuckled. "Yeah, well that doesn't even come close to some of the other things that him and dad would fight about. But anyways, after college, Sam became a lawyer and met someone. His name was Gabriel, I think. Well, they were happy for quite a while, until some boys found out the two were together, and they… they…" Dean couldn't find the strength to go on.
Cas urged him to, and finally after a few moments of silence and a deep breath, Dean slowly resumed.
"The boys… They broke into Sammy's house, and they… They... They had a loaded shotgun. And th-they shot my baby brother through the head. Three times. They did the same to Gabriel too."
Cas could see a small teardrop run down Dean's cheek. The amount of guilt he could see in Dean's eyes was unbearable, and it made Cas's stomach sink.
"If only… If only I had stood up for him. To dad. Then… Then things would've gone differently. They would've. I know it. He would still be alive, we would still talk and laugh and joke around and-and… It's my fault. He was 24 years old. His life was JUST beginning. He had so much to offer. A-And. I…"
Dean realized that Cas was still in the room, and held back his tears.
"Dean. Don't feel guilty for this. It's not your fault at all. There wasn't anything you could've done about it. And feeling like shit every single day of your life because of something you couldn't control is not a way to live."
Dean nodded in agreement, and straightened himself out. "You're right. You're right." He said as he gave him a smile. "You make me better, Cas. Thank you."
They then continued to talk the afternoon away about everything and nothing, until the moon began to rise. And for the first time in years, Castiel felt truly happy.